Himachal CM Urges for Making Himachal a Carbon Neutral State
Shimla: Himachal Pradesh is pioneering the Community Led Assessment, Awareness, Advocacy and Action Programme (CLAP) for environment protection and carbon neutrality in the world. A task force required to be constituted to check rain water harvesting structures in every house to meet non consumption requirement.
This was stated by Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister while addressing the stakeholders’ Interaction and Training Meet on Community Led Assessment Awareness Advocacy and Action Programme (CLAP) for environment protection and carbon neutrality at Peterhoff here today when he announced launch of State wide awareness campaign in association with Gram Panchayats, Mahila Mandals, Yuvak Mandals, NGOs, Eco Club for a period of three years. The one day meet was jointly organised by the Department of Environment, Science and Technology in association with Development Alternation New Delhi.
Chief Minister appealed to all to lend their cooperative hand in making Himachal ‘Carbon Neutral State’ to ensure safe future to coming generations. He urged them all to stop all anti-environment activities in their day to day routine and change their life styles accordingly. He said that the campaign needed to be converted into a mass movement so that the dream of making Himachal Pradesh environmentally a safe State and role model to rest of the country was realised.
Prof. Dhumal underlined the need for an Environment Policy which could not only ensure the protection of environment but also uniform development of the State.
He said that there was need to take along all the stake-holders to create a congenial atmosphere to move ahead towards making Himachal Pradesh a carbon neutral State in all respects.
Chief Minister said that State had launched various environment programmes by launching herbal plants, Jan-Jan Sanjivini, Revival of Deodar in Shimla, Peepal-Bargad plantation campaigns with a view to increase green cover to absorb the emission of green house gases as also produce herbs for medicinal use and allied activities. He appealed to the people to take a pledge not to waste water and carry on with anti-environment activities. He said all such activities were required to be incorporated into day to day habit of all of us. He said that Union Environment Minister Jai Ram Ramesh had cited the example of Himachal Pradesh in his speech in United Nations which helped in drawing the attention of world leaders towards the environment protection endeavour of the State.
Prof. Dhumal said that the parameters for determining the status of a nation as developed required to be reversed. He said the parameters should be the efforts being made by such countries to reduce and minimize the emission of carbon gases. He said that it was due to the developed and highly mechanized nations that the global warming was taking place. He said that developing nations should not be penalized to pay for the eco-damages caused by developed nations. He said that the nations had to take best precautionary steps to prevent emission of green house gases. He said that Himachal Pradesh had the minimum carbon foot prints in the country.
Chief Minister said that unnecessary utilization and exploitation of the resources available was also a habit which was required to be checked. He said that such minor day to day activities combined together emerge a major impediment in environment safeguards. He said that there was need to change mindset of the people towards over exploitation of natural potential available and the stakeholders could play pivotal role in creation of awareness in society.
Prof. Dhumal said that human beings had been responsible for causing damage to ecology with its follies in the shape of anti-environment activities. He said that all such acts were available with the mass awareness about the degrading environmental condition. He said that environmentalists had fore-warned the hilly States which would be worst affected due to melting of glacier and uncertain weather conditions while the sea shore areas would be submerged into the sea waters which was likely to rise by several meters. He said that there was no remedy except to start taking precautionary measures to delay the impact of the global warming. He said that protection of ecology had been advocated even in the ancient scriptures when India civilization was universally acknowledged pioneer of environment protection and high moral values.
Chief Minister also released the environment awareness booklets leaflets audio and CD by Bhunu Nepali to mark the launching of CLAP movement.
Later Chief Minister also flagged off Environment Awareness convoy to visit different pats of the State.
J.P. Nadda, Forest, Science and Technology Minister said that Himachal Pradesh had emerged as the fore front to protect ecology the world over. He said that State had banned recycled carry bags about a decade ago which acclaimed global appreciation. He said that environment protection campaign had been launched from Himachal Pradesh and was gaining momentum all over. He said that by pioneering the awareness and action campaign, Himachal Pradesh was a source of inspiration to rest of the country.
Nadda said that only legislations were not sufficient to achieve the objective of environment protection but peoples participation was necessary to motivate people about the importance of environment. He said that State had again pioneered the CLAP movement the world over. He appealed to all stake-holders for ensuring their active participation in making Himachal Pradesh a carbon neutral State in real sense.
A communicative Dance Drama and Skit were presented by artists to create awareness about the degrading environment the world over and warning people of the drastic climatic change taking place.
Smt. Sarojini Gangu Thakur, Additional Chief Secretary delivering key note address detailed the components of CLAP where peoples participation was being encouraged to make them ambassadors of environment protection. She said that distribution of CFL bulbs under Atal Bijli Bachat Yojna was a step towards minimization of production of green house gases. She said that need had emerged to change the mindset of the people through all stakeholders.
your paper is really worthy.
we want more about the himalaya region and the steps taken by different state govt.to save the himalaya.
and about its rich ecology.